At one point Wednesday morning, a long line of vehicles formed just outside the former Admiral Benbow Inn on East Harding Avenue.
The Admiral Benbow, later renamed the Regency Inn, was a staple in Pine Bluff hospitality during the late 20th century. Onlookers saw two of its buildings torn down, expressing bittersweetness because of the memories captured there.
"I grew up in Pine Bluff -- actually grew up in the Broadmoor area -- and this hotel, when it was built in the early '60s ... it was a gorgeous hotel," longtime resident Becky Simpson said. "It was one of the best in Pine Bluff at the time. The paper mill was out this way. It had a lot of visitors coming in all the time. It was a great place to stay. People had their honeymoons here, wedding receptions, all of that. Some of my fondest memories of growing up was every Sunday after church, we would come to the Admiral Benbow and have brunch. It was just kind of a gathering place, and in the early '60s ... late '60s, it was a beautiful hotel."
Simpson and others look forward to the future of the property at 2100 E. Harding Ave. Cranes from the Pine Bluff Urban Renewal Agency knocked down most of the property's buildings to make way for an electric go-kart center, helping to reclaim one of the city's main drags into an entertainment hub.
The conversion to a go-kart center is one of many projects under Go Forward Pine Bluff, the city's private-public capital improvement initiative. The city in February approved $850,000 toward the facility, which will include an 18-hole mini-golf course, party rooms and a restaurant. The track will be set for 18 karts.
"It's good to see Pine Bluff revitalizing," said Jack Hollingsworth, 34, a White Hall resident who spent his first 13 years in Pine Bluff. "We've passed by this building for years and years, and it's good to see them doing something with it that's going to be good for the community."
Voices of approval
Locals praised the much-scrutinized Go Forward for its latest work in turning a run-down hotel into something to carry the city into the future.
"I think people are just excited about progress," Go Forward CEO Ryan Watley said. "They've been waiting a long time for development to take place. Really, this has just been an eyesore for the community for a long time. They just want to see it come down and redevelop."
Kim Soto of White Hall grew up in the Watson Chapel area and worked years ago at The Pines mall further east on Harding Avenue.
"I'd come through here daily and I'd go to the movie theater, stop here and eat," she said, referring to the former three-screen Broadmoor Cinemas at the shopping center where It's Fashion Metro now stands. "It means a lot. I'm so happy that Go Forward Pine Bluff is trying to bring new things to our community."
The estimated construction budget was $2.5 million, but with the rise in material costs and other factors, that number could increase. To cut costs, local Urban Renewal Executive Director Chandra Griffin recommended it handle as many demolitions as possible at the site where only two of the four buildings will be used.
In April, Level5 Architecture presented 3D renderings, architectural site plans and floor layouts of the entertainment facility. The renderings display an arcade area of about 20 games and two air hockey tables. A restaurant bar will be centrally located with indoor/outdoor space and a customer service area.
A hut and storage area will be on site, and the golf course will sit toward the front of the entertainment park on East Harding. Griffin said in several meetings she talked to an investor interested in operating the track.
Future of the property
Onlookers gathered as the cranes cleared an area where the Admiral Benbow's westernmost building once stood. Griffin said that would help next-door Pope Furniture by taking away a gathering area from squatters.
"We closed it up and it's been closed up for the last four months now, so we haven't had any issues with that," Griffin said.
Another building at the inn's rear was demolished. The two buildings in the front -- the easternmost one once donned the logo of "Admiral Benbow Inn" in Old English font with a drawing of Benbow's head -- are to be saved for remodeling into part of the go-kart structure.
Not the only Admiral
The history behind Admiral Benbow Inn's original ownership in Pine Bluff or when it was first constructed was not immediately clear. According to a 1983 article in The Oklahoman newspaper, inns in Oklahoma City and Dayton, Ohio, owned by Universal Inns of America were to be renamed Admiral Benbow Inn at the time. Similar hotels were located in Pine Bluff; Memphis and Chattanooga, Tenn.; Jacksonville and Tampa, Fla.; Biloxi and Jackson, Miss.; Atlanta; and Louisville, Ky.
The inns were believed to be named after John Benbow, a 17th-century admiral in the English Royal Navy.
Hollingsworth, a commercial drone pilot, brought two of his four boys to capture drone footage of the demolition so those working 9-to-5 could see the action at their leisure. Hollingsworth noticed some people living in it and going in and out when he walked around it last year.
"I think it'll be good to give it a clean slate and put something new here that the city is going to use.
Despite the Admiral Benbow's slow decline, seeing (most of) the structure torn down was still bittersweet in Simpson's eyes.
"It's a sad day to see it go, but fun for Pine Bluff that we are getting rid of some things that are never going to be fixed up and having some new entertainment for young kids in Pine Bluff, which is what we really need. So, Go Forward is doing a great job on that front."
Jack Hollingsworth and Travis Mosler, in foreground, chat as Hollingsworth's sons walk around as the former Admiral Benbow Inn on East Harding Avenue in Pine Bluff is demolished Wednesday. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
From left, Kim Soto, Becky Simpson and Lauren Lawson talk about the demolition of the former Admiral Benbow Inn on East Harding Avenue in Pine Bluff on Wednesday. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)